Covid-19 may devastate poorest nations if west does not act, warns UN

G20 told to ‘step up now or pay price later’ as up to 100 million globally face being pushed into extreme povertyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe west’s shortsighted response to the impact of Covid-19 could result in 640 million people being infected and 1.7 million killed in the world’s poorest countries, the UN warned.The direct medical costs of treating 2.2 million patients in hospital critical care beds could amount to an estimated $16.28bn, while the focus on coronavirus could also lead to a diversion of scarce health resources, leading to a further 1.7 million preventable deaths from HIV, TB and malaria. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/16/covid-19-may-devastate-poorest-nations-if-west-does-not-act-warns-un #united_nations #poverty #world_news #coronavirus_outbreak